1816.] Inconsistency of one of the London Missionary Societies. 221 Since I have made some critical observations in the course of this survey, I shall take the liberty of subjoining two more. The handsomest of the entrances to London, is indisputably by Westminster-bridge, Parliament-street, Whiteball, and Charing Cross, where the inquis.tive stranger meets with the first statue that falls under his notice upon his arrival. But in what a state is the spot which immediately surrounds it? The approach is, as it were, interdicted by carts, or by materials which incessantly blockade it, and by filth of the most disgusting kind that covers the pavement. A very simple method to give to this little place, and the monument which adorns it, that importance which they ought to have, would be to prevent carts from taking their station there; it would then be easy to keep it in a due state of cleanliness. This indeed becomes absolutely necessary at a time when improvements, repairs, and embellishments, are going forward at once in every part of the capital. The court before the principal entrance to St. Paul's, without being large, possesses an air of grandeur. A colossal statue or a group of figures cannot be otherwise than judiciously placed there; it cannot fail to attract notice. But the eye is shocked if it perceives that such statues are mutilated in the face; if, for justance, the nose is broken off. Such is precisely the state in which the statue of Queen Anne, as well as the figures that accompany her pedestal, now appear. The remedy is easy: let this group be removed, and let the chisel of Flaxman produce a demi-colossal statue in marble of the same queen; or if preferred, it might be of brouze, or merely of stone. QUATREMERE DE ROISSY. London, Jan. 1816. sionary Society, formed about 1796 or sooner, the Church Missionary Society, and the Baptist Missionary Society. There is very little difference in the two former, as to their views of religious truth; each promotes its own opinions of church government and of baptism: but the latter maintains what the society calls a "Fundamental Principle." They say our design is not to send Presbyterianism, Independency, Episcopacy (about which there may be difference of opinion among serious persons), but the glorious gospel of the blessed God to the Heathen: and that it shall be left (as it ought to be left) to the minds of the persons, whom God may call into the fellowship of his Son, from among them, to assume for themselves, such form of church government, as to them shall appear most agreeable to the word of God." To the latter part of this "fundamen tal principle" no one can object, to leaving the choice of that form of church government, the heathen converts may see fit to chuse, to his own election: though it seems by this admission, that the society suppose the converts will form themselves into a Christian society called a church; and it is to be supposed some form of church order and government will be fixed, as near as the convert imagines or believes to be revealed in the Scriptures. Whether the society thinks the missionary should state all the views Christians maintain on this point, or relate only to the poor heathen the missionary's own views on the subject, the declaration of the society does not point out, was But a difficulty arises as to the former part of the "Fundamental Principle," which perhaps may want clearing, that is, why so little stress, in fact, why so much indifference is shewn to a preference being given to any form of church government? as little, as if none commanded in the scriptures. Some form of worship is practised by Christians of all denominations in Europe, how comes it about that none whatever is worthy of recommendation in the dark regions of Africa and the South Seas? At home the directors and members of this society profess Presbyterianism, Independency, Episcopacy, &c. &c. they belong to societies called churches of these denominations; but abroad how different!-they do not wish to promote what they themselves believe to be consistent with the scripture revelation. If Presbyterians and Independents think 222 Inconsistency of one of the Lordon Missionary Societies. [April 1, no form of church government is ordered by Christ, why not unite with the established religion of the country? But does not the glorious gospel of "the blessed God" require its professors to worship him by some forin or mode of worship? When a Presbyterian, Independent, or Espiscopalian, sits down to the holy communion with the church to which he belongs, does he not believe it a command of Christ? by this act, does he not acknowledge the form of church government professed by the members of that community? and are the commands of Christ of little or no obligation? When our Saviour said to his disciples, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;" he added these remarkable words, "teaching them to observe all things what soever I have commanded you." In the Missionary Chronicle for June, 1814, the Society admits, as the " Fundamental Principle" declares, there may be difference of opinion among serious persons on this subject; by this acknowledgment, the directors think it a matter of some importance; but wishing to unite Christians in one common bond of union for promoting" the blessed gospel of the Son of God," they so far please the popular feeling as to relax a scriptural obligation, thereby introducung among the heathen, laxity on a point of great consequence in the formation of a Christian church. It has always appeared to me a strange incongruity in Presbyterians and Independents mixing with Episcopalians in promoting Christianity among the Heathen: for the Dissenters think differently from churchmen on the nature of a Christian church, that if either of them are in the least consistent with their own sentiments, they cannot as honest men agree on this subject. In a History of Dissenters, lately published by two independent ministers, and very active members of this Missionary Society, Messrs. BOGUE and BENNETT, is the following very singular Inguage, used by them as reasons for Wissent from the church of England: "As we acknowledge no head of the church but Jesus Christ, we cannot accord with the Church of England, which owns the king for her head-how can it be called the Church of England, or any other church at all? seeing it was introduced and established only by authority of mere laymen. The Church of England, in nearly her present state, was brought into existence by the crea tive energy of the legislative authorities of England, and Queen Elizabeth, the sovereign of the land, brought the Church of England into being like Adam, full grown, with all her soul and body; but she had also her garments, her gifts, and her ornaments; many other things we can say against this creature of the state- but pray, gentlemen, do not frown 6 "We are dissatisfied with the multi plicity of offices and diguities among the clergy. This multitude of names and titles does not savour of the simplicity of the gospel-how odd would a list of these various names appear to a converted pagan! Supposing he heard a humble missionary calling himself a mi mister of Christ, and naturally supposed this to be its form in every country in Christendom, what would the poor pa gan exclaim, Peter I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye? On the whole, so unscriptoral are the ideas of the Church of England in the four or dinances of baptism, confirmation, parts of the service for the visitation of the sick, and burial service, so erroneous the doctrines she holds, we should think every dissenting minister justified for refusing to officiate at her altars, and every dissenting layman justified in separating from her communion so conducite to the progress of impiety, infidelity, and Atheism." "Discipline," we consider, say Messrs. Rogue and Bennett, "as of high importance" (I suppose they mean some form or mode of church order and government) "in the Church of Christ, therefore we express our dissatisfaction of a church where there is none-the ordination is dreadful.” "After enumerating," say these mimisters of "the every blessed gospel of the Son of God," (in the promotion of which they are uniting in love, peace, and harmony with churchmen to send to the II-athen world) "so many subjects of complaint against the Church of England, we must add, we strongly object to the harsh, rigid, severe, and utterly unaccommodating spirit of this Churchwe can bear it no longer; and although we have united in love, unity, peuce, and harmony with churchmen in promoting pure Christianity in the Missionary Society, although we have had every indulgence as reasonable men to expect under the Toleration Act, yet who are you, who dare treat us in so rude a manner, by frequently calling us fanatics and enthusiasts, people dangerous, to the church, and disaffected to the govern 1816.] Rev. Mr. Cormouls on Gravity. ment? Although we feel ourselves relieved by our dissent, yet we cannot but condemn the conduct of a church (with which it is true we have nothing to do), but which lays on the shoulders of her sons such heavy burdens grievous to be borne." After reading, Mr. Editor, these severe quotations lately published from the pens of the President of the Missionary College at Gosport, and the Tutor of the Independent Academy at Rotherham, I can scarce believe love, harmony, and unity can subsist in a society formed of persons so differently minded. No Episcopalian Missionaries can ever be sent out, after such declared hostilities: this induces me to think, that the pure Christianity Messrs. Bogue and Bennett mention, is Independency, and that only; for it seems impossible, after these declarations, that Messrs. Bennett and Bogue, and the members of the Society who are churchmen, can ever agree on the establishment of an Episcopalian church among the Heathen: it would seem the "Fundamental Principle" is a mere mask. How to reconcile these difficulties, is the reason of my troubling you, Sir, with these lines. I shall be happy to hear the sentiments of any of your correspondents concerning them, and am, A CONSISTENT PROTESTANT DISSENTER, Who admires peace with all men, but unity only with those in promoting Christianity, who agree, and not with those who differ, Murch 4, 1816. MR. EDITOR. GRAVITY, contrary to the received doctrines of its immutable nature, is never found steady to any defined law; but when a body is at rest on some base, pendant from some sustainer, or falling perpendicularly to some point of the earth below it; for, Firstly, All bodies in progressive mo tion, even in contact with the earth, vary their pressure upon it in ratios according to their speed; their weight is less as their speed increases. Experiments sufficient in number and accuracy to found the law of the decrease upon, have not yet been made in this case, but will be completed before long. However in swift motions it is very considerable, as the following fact will serve to shew. Both the wheels of one side of a waggon, whose weight and load were near four tons, passed over the breast of a man with very little injury; the 223 horses had taken fright on the top of a hill, and ran down at the rate of sixteen miles per hour or more at the time. The man was servant to the Rev. Phis lip Wren of Ipsley, Warwickshire. Secondly, All bodies moving through the air, by force of engines, as of guns, or bows; or by natural action, as birds in their flight, lose part of their downward pressure, or the attraction between the earth and them, in ratios from a part to the whole, and not unfrequently ac quire a state of actual repulsion to the earth. Thirdly, Antigravitative effects take place in bodies subjected to various experiments in electricity and magnetism, galvanic effects, and chemical attrac tions, which latter, though not strictly gravitational, will be found referable to the operation of the gravitation principle. Indeed both gravity, and the magnetic power, will be found to be chemical attractions between bodies and their two principles, which are ascertainable to be invisible, but detectable gaseous fluids universal in the solar system*. Fourthly, The mutability of gravity is frequent and striking in many circumstances upon and within the earth, in air, and in water. Whirlwinds elevate bodies from the earth, which are afterwards transported by the wind to great distances. There is in this effect an appearance as if something first put these elevated bodies in a state of repulsion to the earth, and, by adhering to them in an atmospheric form, continued them in a state of suspended attraction to it, by supplying them with that principle which usually causes their attraction. This is indeed the fact, whieh projectile experiments will fully develope. In water-spouts a relative effect takes place on their elevated pillar. Volcanoes also give a temporary exemption from gravity to their ashes, and sometines to very large and heavy frustrums of stone and * Vacuum is not requisite to the swiftest motions. Meteors move in the medium from whose surcharge they are derived, and as swift as the earth in her arbit. The air does not resist birds as it does bullets, nor water fish, as it does ships. The striking of an arrow; water, by resistance, stops of a pike or dolphin is with the swiftness and snaps the oar that is snatched with half of mediums and bodies, will be found the their speed against it. The mutual adaptation organic means in nature of most of its motions. The firmest solids do not stop some subtile principles. The magnetic and gravitation fluids will pass brass or diamond very freely. 224 Rev. Mr. Cormouls on Gravity. marble, which they eject: this occurs by application of the same principle in atmosphere, to them which is operant in the whirlwind, as will appear. Tide also runs counter to the immutability of gravity, nor does it preserve the usual level which fluid assumes when at liberty; which is a proof that it is influenced by some compulsive principle: indeed it is referable to the elevating cause of the water-spout, and the experimental proofs are similar. The true phenomena of the tide bear very little resemblance to those of their present definition: but I shall only briefly observe, that of its complicate phenomena (the co-existent opposite streams in many pairs, up great tide rivers) the business seems to be to collect a certain redundant principle from the earth and air, and deliver it to the ocean; and that one and the prominent use of the tide in the terrestrial machinery, is to act as a balance-wheel does in a watch, and make the earth's daily rotation and the consequent chronometry regular, which it does by absorbing this redundance, which occurs when the moon is in certain positions with respect to the earth. Earthquakes exhibit many anti-gravitative phenomena: both living creatures and inert subjects are sometimes elevated from the earth' by a flatus of subtile principle, that is breathed out at the time of terræ motus, and sometimes without any shake. Indeed an earthquake is sometimes attended with the united phenomena of the whirlwind, the volcano, and tide; for, in fact, it is nothing else than a disturbance of that principle which is common to each-the strata of the earth's substance are in no order compatible with the common law of gravity, and the earth herself (contrary to prevalent opinion) is demonstrably a hollow sphere, less than 200 miles in thickness here, and the cavity is full of gravitation principle, very little changed from the state in which it exists in air. Both these circumstances admit of as firm demonstration as the earth's rotundity itself:-no doctrine of gravity can have a pretension to truth which does not comprehend the above anomalies as well as its general action. The present received, is wrong even in the regular facts of its powers, admits of no auomalies, and thereby puts them out of inquiry. But all is comprehended and consistent under the principle which will be developed, and which claims the notice of all the votaries of true natural knowledge. [April 1, Instances from the Powers of Birds against the received Law of Gravity. Every creature that flies, and every creature that springs, that is, almost the whole of animated nature,-bear testimony against the immutable nature of gravity. The most prominent and striking instance among the feathered race is the soaring kite. It often sails in a ring of 500 yards in circumference, by means of one percussion of its wings, and that of not more than an ounce in force, and sometimes a greater distance between the two percussions. One has been seen to fly in a straight line against the wind, and in an ascending line 100, ray, even 300 yards without a single percussion in that distance. But to establish thefirst position, let the common case of the bird's ring be considered. The bird's weight, may be about two pounds; consequently he exhibits the effect of two pounds' weight sustained in air, and projected 500 yards at a rate of from eight to ten yards per second with a single stroke of an ounce of repercussive power, and across and against as well as with the wind, that may be blowing at the rate of three or four yards per second at the time. A fan, of the expanse of a kite's two wings, moved against the air as slowly and for about five inches only, the extent of the bird's stroke, does not give half an ounce repercussive force: but the bird's stroke shall have an ounce allowed it, and still it will plainly appear that mechanic means have the smallest possible share in the bird's sustainment and motion. For suppose fifteen men, twenty yards apart, to form a ring of 300 yards, and throw a metal ball of two pounds weight to each other, so as to pass round as swiftly as the kite flies: it will be found that the exertions made to send the ball will demand fifteen throws, each equal to at least the lift of twenty pounds, two feet and a half high, which together make 300 pounds lifted two feet and a half high; but as the kite's wing-percussion is only five inches against two feet and a half of lift, that must be divided by the kite's wing-motion, five inches, the quotient of which is six; which again, to shew the mechanic proportional torce of each party, (the kite and men) must be multiplier to the 300 pounds, then the defect of mechanic means of the kite's power of flight will be as 1 ounce to 1800 pounds, or, in ounces, 28,799 parts deficient in 28,800; for all the mechanic force the bird uses to carry his weight 300 yards is one ounce. 1816.] Tauscher's Tours in the Southern parts of Russia in Asia. 225 This is a convincing instance against the constant tenor of gravitation, and of there being some principle which modifies and probably causes it. Other birds also exhibit instances, which judiciously considered, shew that some principle or power in nature can even do more than simply suspend the weight of bodies, can really elevate them from the earth. Rooks and pigeons mostly come to their nests in a long descending line, continued to a point from three to five feet lower than their nests, and from three to five yards distant; then to ascend, throw their wings backward, the whole force and direction of which motion is mechanically opposite to their ascent and should produce descent; yet they proceed slowly and steadily upward to the point they aim at. Here a total reverse of gravity is evident to every discerning observer, and a principle for that effect demanded. But I shall conclude this part of the subject with just observing, that the flights of birds and all these extraordinary anomalies against gravity (as defective science leads to suppose them), are the regular genuine consequences of a principle that causes gravity in common, which projectile experiments duly made will fully develope, which inanimate nature and the heaviest substances confirm by various circumstances, and with which the whole circle of natural phenomena connected with gravity will accord in the heavens no less than on earth. T. CORMOULS. Tanworth, Warwickshire. Sketch of Professor TAUSCHER'S TOURS in the Southern parts of RUSSIA in ASIA. (Continued from p. 104). AS the Bukharian embassy, from all accounts, appeared likely to take place about the autumn of the succeeding year (1811), and at that time, therefore, our traveller would be required to join it at Orenburg, he obtained Count Razumowsky's concurrence, to employ the intervening time in maturing his knowledge of the productions of the Steppes, by paying a visit to the Inderskoi, a salt lake on the other side of the Ural, eight hundred versts below Orenburg. This extraordinary spot had not been explored by any European since Pallas's visit to it forty years before, nor had his discovery been followed up, extended, or confirmed by any subsequent researches. That the beautiful vernal vegetation of NEW MONTHLY MAG,-No, 27. the south might be viewed in all its luxuriance, it was necessary to be within reach of its scene immediately on the departure of the snow. Towards the middle of March, therefore, M. Tauscher, in company with M. Herrman, the son of the professor of philology, quitted Moscow, and after a tedious journey, arrived in the beginning of April at Orenburg. Having been furnished with the requisite instructions and aids by Prince Wolchonskoi, he proceeded along the Uralian line, running in a southerly direction below Orenburg, to its chief town Uralsk (formerly Jaizkoi Gorodok) and thence to Inderskoi, or Gorskoi Krepost, whence his excursion to the lake, on the other side of the river, would necessarily commence. "Finding," says he, "on our way from Orenburg to Inderskoi Krepost, several spring plants already shot up and in full bloom, we were in great hopes we should not be behind-hand with the more southerly, and consequently earlier vegetation of the Indersee. The numerous flights of birds of passage, principally ducks and snipes, which darkened the banks of the Ural and lesser streams by thousands, as they winged their passage from the southern to the northern provinces, afforded us an interesting spectacle. We gradually collected thirteen or fourteen different species of ducks, among which were several peculiar to Russia, that have been described by Pallas and Gmelin.” Our traveller being unfortunately attacked by a violent fever at Inderskoi, and kept prisoner by it for some weeks, he dispatched his companion to the lake, whence he returned with a harvest of extremely valuable plants; to which he subsequently made an addition, by collecting subjects in the environs of Inderskoi on this side of the Ural. M. Tauscher had fully regained his health by the 21st of May, when he set out with a strong Russian escort to explore the lake himself. Of this curious and interesting excursion, he promises a very particular description hereafter; merely observing on this occasion, that the expectations raised by Pallas's report, of the treasures which this district contained in the vegetable kingdom, were most completely gratified. He spent two days on the banks of the Indersee, returned to this side of the Ural, sent off the large botanical and zoological collections which himself and his companion had formed, to Gorenki and Moscow, and prepared for a tour to another VOL. V. 2 G |